“… I… I don’t know, Mom.
I wanted to play with Alice some more, so I returned home early, but she was gone!”

“That’s impossible!
It’s not like she can just walk away.
She’s not even a month old yet!”

“I know!
Which is why I got worried and followed her scent…
I was too late though!
Those disgusting creatures had already killed her!”

Nnn, why is it so noisy?
And more importantly, what’s that about someone dying?
Haa, I knew it was going to happen, but it’s still an unpleasant feeling every time. {xxx}
Hmm?
What do you mean?
… It would be pointless to explain it to you now. {xxx}
I’m sure your mind would just break even more. {xxx}
Huh?
Sometimes I don’t understand you, me.
Fufu, and that’s perfectly fine. {xxx}
If that’s what keeps you safe, then I’ll play the fool. {xxx}

Anyway, don’t you need to make sure the two wolves are alright? {xxx}
Ah, right.
They sound distressed.
I wonder if that’s because of whoever died.
Un, regardless, I have to comfort them.
They’ve been so nice to me these past two weeks.

So, while the two wolfies are crying together, I carefully make my way towards them.
Eh?
When did I get into this pit?
Ah, wait no, that’s not really important right now.

The two wolfies are still crying as I finally make my way out of pit.
It was a much easier climb than it looked though.
I wonder why?
Hmm~
Well, there’s no use thinking about pointless things.
Omega wolfie and regular wolfie are in need of some good hugs.

I carefully move around to the side of the two, and try to give them both the best hug I can possibly give.
However, I forgot one important thing…
I’m still a baby!
It’s not like I can give them both a hug that easily, even if they are as close together as they are!
The best I can do it put my hands on both of them.

And, that’s exactly where I find myself.
I have a hand on each wolfie while I stand in between the two of them trembling because I can’t hug them.
Well, the trembling is because of that and the fact that they’ll know I can walk now.
B-but it’s mostly the hugging thing.
Yeah!
I’m definitely not afraid of what might happen because I ran away from home.
Un, of course not!

Ignoring the me that’s worrying, omega wolfie and regular wolfie turn towards me like broken machines.
Then, almost immediately afterwards, they both break out into fresh tears and wrap me up in a hug.
Nnn, I’m not used to affection like this.
Still, I wonder why they seem so happy to see me.
What about the person that died?
Fufu, maybe they’re just relieved that they managed to find you, and that you’re safe. {xxx}
U-un, I guess that’s true.
I scared them didn’t I?
Yes, but the important thing is that they know you’re safe now, so don’t worry about it, me. {xxx}

“Haa, I was so sure something had happened to you.
I’m glad you’re safe, Alice.”

Eh?
Who’s this “Alice” person?
Eeeh!?
Wait wait wait a minute, isn’t there something more important I need to be paying attention to?
Well, I suppose so. {xxx}
I kinda like the name Alice at least. {xxx}
Well, so do I, but more importantly than that, didn’t I just understand omega wolfie!?
I wonder~ {xxx}
Uuu, enough out of you.
You’re no help.
I’ll just have to ask her myself.

“Erm, omega wolfie, can you understand me?”

Both omega wolfie and regular wolfie jump back from me at my words.
How rude!
I was just trying to ask a question.
There’s no need to react like that.

“Uh, Mom, did Alice just speak?”

“I-I think so?”

“Who is this Alice person anyway?
Oh, and by the way, I guess I can somehow understand what both of you are saying, you know?”

“Well, Alice is the name of my other daughter.
She looks a lot like you, but she’s not even a month old yet.
There’s no way she’d be able to walk around or even speak because of that.
In that case, I’d like to ask you what you did to my baby.”

“B-but, I am that baby.
I don’t remember being named Alice, but that’s because I couldn’t understand the two of you!”

“Don’t lie demon!”

“U-u-u…”

“Uu?”

“Uwahhh!”

W-why is omega wolfie calling me a demon?
I didn’t do anything did I?
Well, think about it from their perspective. {xxx}
If you were them, and the baby you thought you had been taking care of for the past two weeks suddenly walked up to you and started talking, wouldn’t you react similarly? {xxx}
W-well, when you put it that way, I guess I can understand it, but right now aren’t I in a dangerous spot?
Aren’t you supposed to help me in these situations!?
Fufu, well I could, but in this particular case, you’re surprisingly better suited to handle it than I. {xxx}
Ah, see, just watch. {xxx}
The seeds you planted are already beginning to bear fruit. {xxx}
Huh?
Seeds?
Are we even talking about the same thing?

“M-mom, you made her cry…”

“Hmph.
She’s just a demon.
Don’t worry about her.
More importantly, we need to find out what happened to Alice!”

“No, but Mom, I think that is Alice.
I don’t know why she can walk and talk, but that should be her.
Didn’t you say it yourself once, that she has intelligence in her eyes, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if she could understand us?”

“Ugh, i-it’s true that I said that, but I never actually expected her to be able to speak!
Besides, how then do you explain her ability to walk?”

“Just look at her mom, doesn’t she look a bit older than a month by now?
I wouldn’t be surprised if she was developed enough to be able to walk around.
Maybe she’s one of the quick-aging species.
There are quite a lot of them…”

“Umu, I suppose that could be the case.
…
Haa, I already can’t win against you.
What’s going to become of me when you’re all grown up?
Regardless, I still can’t trust her that easily.”

“Hmm…
Ah, then how about we get her appraised!
She looks old enough to take the test now.
Maybe you’ll be convinced that way.”

“Oh?
That’s a good idea.
Alright, Alice, let’s go.
We’ll go see whether or not you’re telling the truth.”

Eh?
Is … is this that?
Will I finally get to meet the all-powerful appraisal!?
I think there’s something a bit more important going on at the moment though… {xxx}

Author’s Note:
I’m sure some of you will have some questions after this chapter.
Questions such as “Why did our protagonist forget about falling into the pit?” among other things.
Worry not, these questions will be answered in time.

Also, the “other” voice talking to our beloved main character is now denoted by “{xxx}” after the lines she speaks.
The “xxx” will clear up as time goes by.

**
The oldest cat on record was Crème Puff from Austin, Texas, who lived from 1967 to August 6, 2005, three days after her 38th birthday. A cat typically can live up to 20 years, which is equivalent to about 96 human years.

Translator #2

When not swimming with polar bears or sleeping in an igloo, likes to stare at incomprehensible moon runes believing them to be messages from the ancestors. Until the caribou meat runs out. Was promoted to Deputy? Arbiter by a wandering Sheeprabbit on a hunt one day and brought to a place named after some person called Chan, Onii.

Translator #3

Translator #4

Hey everyone, I'm Kou-san and I translate stuff.
I hopped on board because my social life was dying and I needed something to keep me from descending into darker chuuni pits. Now, back to learning how to run on water...

Translator #8

Hello, Kudarajin de~su! I'm just a student passing by, translating stuff! Started this since there was a series I really liked that I wanted to share with everyone. I'm trying to share the joy I feel when I read web novels with more people around the world! Now that my self-introduction is over, back to my glorious plan to turn everyone in the world into bookworms...

Translator #9

Graphical Editor #1

Graphical Editor #2

It was a dark and stormy night...the little slug, abandoned by all of it's friends, moved onwards. It undertook a hard and unwelcome journey. The ground was slippery cobblestone, all sunny-gleam and glass-sharp marble gluing the jagged edges together to resemble something beautiful. Walking upon the path would have hurt the slug, considering all the jagged pebbles knocked aside to and fro that it had to crawl over, if not for the water that fell from the sky and aided the slug's way to a place of suitable shells. And on the slug continued on this path, a little nervous but a lot determined, until two long shadows coalesced and stood in its way. "Slug! It's a slimy slug!" one crowed mockingly, laughing cruelly along with other shadows in a discordant symphony as they loomed over the slug, dark and threatening. "I'm not a slug!" it said in response, even as it flinched back. "I am a snail, like the rest of the snails. I just have no shell." The shadows did not seem to hear, and they surrounded the slug, holding sticks and tossing it around. "Stop!" the slug cried, but they did not stop. The rain spilled over the slug, until it didn't, and the slug lay helpless on the side of the streets, unmoving. There were many voices, screeching their victory as they walked into the distance, and the slug was bitterly reminded of the insults its siblings had told it. It did not resist as it was kicked harshly by a passing object and thrown into the air, landing on its soft underside so quickly it faded into unconsciousness, prone and helpless to any that wanted to eat it. It sadly thought that, perhaps, its siblings had been right. However, the slug did not die. It came to, after a long, long time, to see a large, patterned rock. "...Hello?" the slug whispered mutely, voice weak and barely audible, not expecting an answer. But surprisingly, the rock moved, revealing a wisened head that craned over to look at the slug. "Hello," it greeted calmly, "What are you? I have not seen any like you before." The slug took a long moment to comprehend its words, and even then, it felt floored. Someone who had not heard of slugs at all? "I...am a snail, who has no shell, seeking a place of suitable shells that will fit me, like the shells in the place of suitable shells near my home that fit my kin." "Is that so?" the other asked. "I cannot understand, for this shell of mine has been mine ever since my birth. I can, however, understand the need for a shell to watch your back and hide you away from the world, if that is why you wish for a shell." "It is," the slug replied. "It must be a joy to you, to have a shell crafted for you for your lifetime." "But I cannot choose another," the other answered, "While you can." It was a long, quiet moment of contemplation before the other spoke again. "Do you think this shell of mine is good?" The slug was startled, but it answered willingly enough. "Yes." "Do you think this shell of mine is strong?" "Yes," the slug answered, this time a lot more slowly, bemused. The other gave a tiny, weak smile. "Do you think this shell of mine is suitable?" The slug did not hesitate. "Yes," it said, and it could not have said anything more profound. "What are you?" the slug finally queried. "I am a turtle." And the turtle smiled wider, kindly. It may have been just a feeling. It may have been just a thought. But the turtle also said these very words: "You are a snail with a shell." And even though the turtle's shell was all lines and edges and angles, and the shells of the snail's brethren were all curls and swirls wrapping itself into rings of promise, the slug was a snail with a shell, and that was all that mattered.